When i read it, I also thought this was a little odd. To say that we can't spend any more, when all those players left/retired, made me think that we're spending well short of the full cap this year.

After I spent a little time thinking about it, I changed my mind-set. Over the past year the T&A has been used to get the Bulls to express discontent with the RFL (over the sale of the club/points deduction etc.). I think the article was worded in such a way, that it's actually a message to the RFL to pull their fingers out. Even if Koppy changed his mind, i still expect us to retain some of the OOC players.

Just took a look on Sky Sports News and the same story is written there. It seems the Bulls are using the media to pressurize the RFL to come to their decision. (Nothing wrong with that, by the way!)

I've unfollowed it n' all. Just stick to the scores dammit.

Well Bateman and Gale will be on significantly improved deals, so that will swallow up a fair bit of cash that was released with the loss of the likes of Elima, Hargreaves, Burgess, Jeffries etc. I expect Cummins wants to know his budget before signing up others.

Has Sammut definitely got dispensation to stay at the Bulls. I expect he would take a fair slice of salary too.

As for Kopout - he's gone. Just depends on whether we get any compensation or not and how soon the RFL clarify matters.

Well Bateman and Gale will be on significantly improved deals, so that will swallow up a fair bit of cash that was released with the loss of the likes of Elima, Hargreaves, Burgess, Jeffries etc. I expect Cummins wants to know his budget before signing up others.

Has Sammut definitely got dispensation to stay at the Bulls? I expect he would take a fair slice of salary too.

As for Kopout - he's gone. Just depends on whether we get any compensation or not and how soon the RFL clarify matters.

Yeah, I read the bit about the RFL making the decision over Kopczak's registration, and to be honest, it was stuck in a bit, well I've got to say awkwardly, into the paragraph. The thing to me was that we still need to recruit - Koppy or no Koppy - and as far as I know there is no embargo on signings now, so we still need another prop (to cover Tom Burgess) as well as, let's be honest, another to cover Kopczak, 'cos whatever they decide he's unlikely, in the extreme, to be playing for us again. So why a registration problem with one guy, who would have been far from a 'marquee' player, should stop us signing Ainey, Donno and the other re-signs, and even another prop from outside, is beyond me, to be honest.

Limited budget so needs to target specific position (ie prop) before deciding on the rest? If we get someone expensive, maybe it has to be (eg) a choice of either Ainscough or Donaldson and not both?

It's a fair point if there is a 'big name' being lined up to replace Koppy, but to be honest I'm struggling to think of a large fee prop currently available (and I guess it [iwould[/i be a prop we're talking about), of course it may be the T&A which has misinterpreted something too. I guess we'll find out......eventually!

As I've said before he obviously doesn't want to stay so let him go and wait and see if there's any financial gain out of it in the long term with regard to compensation or whatever. In the meantime his wage is a set amount to sign other players.

I suspect it's if he has to stay it's less money to pay the OOC players what they may be worth so it could be holding up a decent offer to other players as they don't know if they still have to pay his wages. As he had already signed a lengthy contract which would have ended next year I suspect his actual wages are fairly decent to make him sign a few years in the first place.

Or maybe I'm just confusing myself

I had to unfollow him too.

It was "an" step too far for me.

I'm assuming OK's management will follow the usual criteria of the Coach saying whom he would like to keep/like to get via loan or transfer, and the Management seeing if they can juggle the figures. Kopouts situation is causing a problem not to dissimilar to Awfuls situation the other year. Its causing a bottle neck as the Club need to know whether Kopout is still on the books or whether they are due compo if he's not! The RFL are applying the usual CYA to the problem therefore dragging it out as per usual!

Not forgetting Whitehead and Obrien on new contracts so more money for them, so touted Obrien loan move a cost saver as well as good experience for him.

There is definitely a similarity to Orford, in that a contract is 'up in the air', but I'd suggest the scale is totally different. Orford was on 'mega' money (whilst I'm not one of those who pretends to know all the clauses of players' contracts, Awful was regarded as a 'marquee' player with all that went with that, so would have been on much more than Kopout, imo), and I can't see the situation being any real obstacle to re-signing such as Donno and Ainey. We still have fewer than around 20 players currently signed to the squad, and still only two props from the probable four or so needed, if we were on no.24 or so in the squad there might be a bigger case for saying there is a big effect, but not as it is, as far as I can see.

While Awful was on a larger contract (it was said at the Fans Forum July? that year not the silly money bandied about in the Media) The new Bulls have far less monies at present, while the season ticket sales are important, the Sponsorship monies are the main staple apart from the Sky TV money which is now 50%. That will be just as or even more important than "Marquee" signings in the present Fiscal Climate!

Don't think we will see any outlandish signings somehow, like (I guess) most, I'll be happy with the just plain excellent sort which have arrived over the last couple of weeks, JB, Nas etc. Hopefully the sponsorship situation will resolve itself and the college/uni tie up is a good start imo. Unfortunately, we don't have many large and thriving local businesses but there must be some around - they don't seem to jumping up and shouting HERE I AM, though...